C.S.

I asked this in the Network thread, but it's worth repeating here: My billing date is coming up soon, and I already have access to a separate Peacock account, so I don't need whatever WWE will do to transition to that. Anyone else thinking of cancelling the Network after tonight? I don't really fancy paying another $9.99 for what will end up being a partial month.

My billing date is coming up soon, and I already have access to a separate Peacock account, so I don't need whatever WWE will do to transition to that. Anyone else thinking of cancelling the Network after tonight? I don't really fancy paying another $9.99 for what will end up being a partial month.

I was thinking of Hell's Kitchen, not Kitchen Nightmares. I actually liked Kitchen Nightmares a lot. Considering that 18-year-old Rock is 36 in real life, I'm thinking probably. I honestly hope so. I feel like I'm the only one who liked The Big Show Show. Probably, because it was cancelled.

Yeah, I also recall Nash saying HBK purposely botched the Jackknife, but Nash seemed amused and understanding about it all.

I love Gordon Ramsay but I hate Kitchen Nightmares (USA) Hell's Kitchen because his persona on that show is so obviously fake and exaggerated for effect. While I'm sure that's true to varying degrees on all of his shows, he really turns up the volume on Kitchen Nightmares Hell's Kitchen in a way I don't find particularly believable or interesting. Those isolated quotes are gold though.

Thanks for that detailed explanation, @The Thread Killer. I wonder how poor Jose Lothario felt about all this from his perspective? I'd be hurt and PO'd, but I dunno, maybe he was old school and just happy for the unexpected payday despite the toxic spoiled brat attitude of his preening prima donna trainee.

And Lothario wasn't exactly charismatic or good on the mic. The payoff at the end with Sid made it all worth it though.

What is the story here? I've never heard this. Without fully knowing the details, it sounds to me like Omega is dead wrong here. Look, I'm not one of those guys who goes along with the old "shut your mouth and open your ears" bullshit the veterans spout off with bits of dip stuck in their teeth, but I do find it preposterous that Kenny Omega in his first few years in the business would act like Harley Race couldn't teach him anything. Come on... Again, I don't know the whole story, so maybe I'm missing some nuance here - I don't know. Then again, in the book "The Somebody Obsession" by indie wrestler Matt Murphy, he didn't always write glowingly of Harley's camp. That was more down to the trainers Harley employed though, such as bitter vets like Malia Hosaka (according to him anyway).

Well, those are two weird examples. For as much as Rock is an a-list megastar, Streep is miles ahead of even that and has reached an untouchable point in her career where she can say and do whatever she wants. Rihanna is in a different industry entirely. (Well, okay, she has done some acting - like playing Marion Crane on Bates Motel - yes, the Janet Leigh role from Psycho.) I'll defend Rock a little bit from the standpoint that he's a double minority who grew up poor (the famous "seven bucks" story) and is probably petrified of "losing everything" like he saw happen to his dad. That is probably why he is so cautious - or "vapid," as you put it. Streep doesn't have that issue as a wealthy white woman. Rihanna isn't white, obviously, but that's a different industry and not one I am well-versed in.

I edited my post to add that I'm okay with that as long as he remains a celebrity and business owner only - meaning no Presidential run. Are there actually any celebrities on Rock's level who seem more authentic? I get the feeling that all of these guys in the a-list are super-micromanaged. Before you cite someone like Pedro Pascal, keep in mind that his star is only now beginning to rise. Rock has been a top blockbuster megastar for a decade now. So, while we all love The Mandalorian, the two are not comparable (yet). I'm not saying any of that to defend or excuse Rock - I'm just pointing out that it seems like a fact of life for those in his stratosphere.

It's true though. He was at the Republican National Convention for George W. Bush. Anyway, I think you're all expecting too much from Rock's socials. If he posts cheat meals, pics of the trucks he buys for family/friends, and Kevin Hart putdowns, that's all I personally ever need from him - as long as he remains a celebrity and business owner only, that is. I don't want him to ever run for President. I think we need to leave the idea of celebrity politicians in the rear-view mirror for good. Pro wrestling politicians are even worse. Kane has been a Rand Paul-worshiping anti-masker laughingstock, Brian Blair is a complete fucking "stop the steal" nut on Facebook, and I don't know how Ventura was in Minnesota but his conspiracy theorist shtick doesn't exactly paint the most comforting picture. I can only assume - and hope - this framing device was designed when the assumption was that Trump was likely getting a second term - making a Rock Presidency a far more appealing thought to viewers as a nice bit of escapism from the real world. (Just like the Kiefer Sutherland show Designated Survivor was clearly created with a Hillary Presidency in mind and instantly felt dated and irrelevant when that didn't happen.) Of course, I don't blame anyone for being cynical that the entire show is a stealth campaign ad for a future Rock POTUS run. God, I hope not. I'm just going to enjoy the show for what it is and hope it doesn't become anything more than an amusing half-hour sitcom with some fun rasslin' fan-service.

Yeah, the Randall Park scenes are dialed down Dwayne, which isn't very interesting and why they don't work.

There's actually a great* novelization about Kane, which of course covers the Undertaker feud, but it somehow also manages to tie in Taker's pre-WWE history in Texas with Percy Pringle. https://prowrestling.fandom.com/wiki/Journey_into_Darkness:_An_Unauthorized_History_of_Kane *Great is used very loosely here.

Plus, even if a city is liberal, that doesn't necessarily guarantee that the rasslin' fans attending those SMW shows in their hometown would lean that way.

D'OH. Can't believe I blanked out on that. I'll change the OP.

My thoughts: A lot of fun... Like all pilots, it tries to do too much and cram too much in (there are FOUR timelines), but it has great potential. The 10-year-old Rock timeline has AMAZING fanservice for rasslin' fans, but anyone can enjoy larger-than-life personalities like Andre the Giant and "Uncle Iron Sheik." (LOL!) 15-year-old Rock is also very enjoyable. This is where the infamous fanny pack pic comes from, I think (although that's not in this episode). University of Miami Rock is not quite as good, but I think it will get more interesting because it shows the hard times Rock's dad "Soulman" Rocky Johnson went through after wrestling. Ironically, the scenes with the real Rock (and Randall Park) are the least interesting (so far). Overall though, a strong start with endless possibilities. Ratings are great too, so hopefully this will stick around for a while.

Young Rock is the first mainstream network show about wrestling that treats it seriously and with reverence, while still being funny. (GLOW did the same thing for streaming on Netflix before being unceremoniously cancelled because of Covid.) It's great nostalgia, great fanservice, and *gulps* the potential beginning of The Rock's campaign to become President of the United States. What does PWO think of the show?

Thank you so much, @MoS, @Blehschmidt, @The Thread Killer, and @sek69 - I really appreciate you coming to my defense. I realized it was not worth it responding to someone who openly admits he doesn't care if a wrestler is a killer or rapist. There is no reasoning or common ground with that kind of thinking, so I'm not even going to try.

Here's the MAGA scum and his finger gesture in all its faded glory. https://www.instagram.com/p/CLXdOPoJ16o/

Paige's mum wrestled while pregnant with Paige (not intentionally, I assume). Proof that even "nice guys" in wrestling are usually full of shit.

Nah... If Henry can recover from years of bullshit, so too can Keith Lee. I'm not saying anything about his push or presentation has been ideal so far - not even close - but he's not a corpse just yet.

I forgot about him in my list. (Will edit to add now.) Absolutely someone who should have been World Champion. If a white guy had all the tools he had, there would be no hesitation.

My thoughts on your list: Shelton Benjamin: Nah, he was "a good hand" - but that's it. Never had the charisma necessary to get over the hump. Also kind of overrated in-ring, if you ask me. Very good, yes, but I can barely think of great matches he'd had (in WWE at least). Lack of opportunities to have them? Probably. But still. Mark Henry: Well, his Hall of Pain run and World Title reign were pretty incredible, but yeah, it could have been longer and I wish he had gotten another run with the title during the Cena feud. Bobby Lashley: I'm not a huge fan, but it's apparent that he probably would've gotten a World Title run if he had stayed the first time. This time, the best he can probably hope for is a short Henry reign. Monty Brown: Family obligations ultimately pulled him out of the business, so this is a big "what if?" scenario. Then again, I don't see WWE ever pushing him as a top guy. In TNA, the old Southern carnies probably had excuse after excuse: "He's too young, he's too green, there's plentuh o' time," etc. while chomping down pork rinds and washing them back with grits 'n gravy 'n moonshine. Big E: Yeah, if a white guy looked and worked like this, he would've had opportunity after opportunity. Keith Lee: Too soon to say. He was pushed to the moon in NXT, so let's see what happens. Others you didn't mention: Kofi Kingston: Kofimania was amazing, but it ended in six seconds and he was instantly back in the midcard afterward. Damning. Xavier Woods: I think he will eventually have a run with the big belt, especially if Big E does, just so New Day can have that legacy and future HOF induction as three former World Champions. Velveteen Dream: I think he would've been pushed to the stratosphere if his *ahem* "personal demons" and "immaturity" (WWE code phrases for what's really going on) didn't get in the way. Ahmed Johnson: I think he would've been the first black WWF (World) Champion if he wasn't so limited, injury prone, and apparently hard to work with/too stiff/whatever it was. Ron Simmons: It's a testament to him that he still had a great WWE career after being DOA with the Roman gladiator Farooq Asad gimmick and look. But, man, what could have been... Big Zeke (Ezekiel Jackson): Was Intercontinental Champion for some reason. Was a dick to Daniel Bryan on a plane for some reason. A completely irrelevant footnote otherwise. (2 Cold) Scorpio: To be fair, whatever magic he once had was gone by the time he showed up in WWE as Flash Funk. His pot-smoking ways probably also soured him with the tight-ass cokeheads who could decide his future. The Godfather: I'm kind of surprised he didn't get a brief World Title run in the Russo-era. People would've popped for it huge. R-Truth: He has found his niche and extended his career by several years as a great comedy worker, but man, anyone remember when he came across as completely unhinged and made a water bottle look like a fearsome weapon? I hope he gets a "thank you" World Title run before he retires. He should IMO. MVP: Absolutely someone who should have been World Champion. If a white guy had all the tools he had, there would be no hesitation.

That Public Enemy match was such a violent and brutal spectacle. Even back then, not knowing the inside story, I sensed something was amiss.

I feel for anyone with anxiety issues, but I have to think his career in pro wrestling is over - there's not exactly much of a market for a homophobic gay porn star - but maybe he can get a second chance in Japan down the line?